Today we feature the SoleMates Team – NuYu Revolution, who will be running in the 2013 NYC Marathon on November 3rd for Girls on the Run NYC!

Team NuYu – Rafiyah Coaxum, Pamela Sohn & Susan Rappaport

As a team, these three amazing women have raised over $9500 for the Girls on the Run NYC program! Susan speaks of her experience as a SoleMate:

Why did you choose to support Girls on the Run NYC through your training/racing?Susan: Because I was that girl… WE were those girls. Without sports, without a goal, a plan or self-esteem. If I had only discovered what was possible at a young age, I believe I would have avoided decades of dieting and self-doubt. Every girl should discover their relevance early on because it builds confidence, potential and strength.

What is your favorite part of marathon training?Susan: Seeing New York on foot and through the eyes of the newbie athletes who are watching their bodies perform on a way they thought was never possible. Taking in the sights from a perspective that only 18 miles of circling the edge of Manhattan by foot can bring … It’s glorious!

What’s your #1 fundraising tip?Susan: If you let people know that even a $5.00 donation will make them philanthropic it’s funny how people come out of the woodwork. Often people who might not feel they are able to donate, will, and more often than not they will donate more.

What activities have you done to fundraise for Girls on the Run NYC?Susan: We took a booth at a street fair and did a raffle for a package of classes at the NuYu Revolution fitness studio.

What does being part of Girls on the Run NYC SoleMates mean to you?Susan: It means that dedicating my life to bring fitness to people young and old is not just a dream, but my reality. As a contributor as well as a mentor/fitness coach it shows the value fitness really has and if not for discovering my own potential … I might still be waiting for life to happen rather than making it happen. I am honored to be a part of a cause that honors fitness in the most loving and tender way …as a right of passage to a lifetime of accomplishments.